2 minute read
Happy New – What?! by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
Happy New – What?!
By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS
What’s with the “happy new year”?! Didn’t we just do this, like a few months ago?
And on the other hand, what’s with the not saying “happy new year,” because it’s “theirs” not ours?!
In the Jewish calendar, we celebrate a new year for trees, and another for months, and another for mankind, and another for the nations…so, clearly, we are new year “addicts.” Therefore, what’s another happy new year give or take one?!
I think the important message is that beginnings are to be noticed and applauded.
When we have our Rosh Hashana New Year holiday, we shlep all our sins down to a moving body of water, heave them over the embankment, and pray they’ll float far away from us. Or, at least that some gaggle of geese will mistake them for mere bread crumbs and imbibe them.
We make a memorable moment of the day.
We even spend the day having continuous conversations with our Maker asking for opportunities for new, fresh starts. We are certainly not slouches all day long.
Yet, on the January new year, there’s just way too much partying! Shouldn’t that happen after we get the good news? What’s everyone blowing horns and getting so rowdy about?
Maybe what’s being celebrated is the chance for new starts, new opportunities, new possibilities…
So, nu (new). Is that such a bad thing to be celebrating?!
If everyone would take the time to register every day that you get a new gift – that day – each and every day, do you think all this new year stuff would be so necessary?
These days are talking to us! They’re trying to remind us to appreciate things. They’re trying to literally teach us to wake up and smell the roses.
If we did it more, we’d need reminders less!
So how about? Happy every day.
Happy for the sunrise…
For the phone calls…
For the friendships…
For the weathermen (OK, you can call it the humor station. Their guess is as good as ours)…
For our breath (not the morning one)…
For the groceries (at least the sale items)…
For our digits, our arms, our legs…
Get where I’m going with this?!
Bottom line is that if you want to take this seriously, you should not be saying happy new year intermittently but rather celebrating the chance for change and renewal every day and be exclaiming often, “Happy new you!”
Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.
